The Annunciation

Origin and history

According to the Gospel of Luke, the archangel Gabriel came to Mary in Nazareth and told her that she would bear a son, Jesus. Mary's answer, 'let it be to me according to your word', is remembered as her 'fiat' (Latin for 'let it be'). The feast is kept on 25 March, nine months before Christmas. In AD 525, when Dionysius Exiguus introduced counting years from the birth of Christ, he made 25 March the start of the new year; in England the date, called Lady Day, marked the start of the new year until 1752.

Customs

• The angel's greeting to Mary forms the first part of the Hail Mary prayer, and the story is recalled in the Angelus prayer.
• The Annunciation has been one of the most painted scenes in Christian art, especially in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

How traditions differ

Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran churches all keep the feast. Catholic and Orthodox traditions both place the event at Nazareth but point to slightly different spots.

In the library

Works: The Bible

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